Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100035319 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING SYNFUEL FROM BIODEGRADABLE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL - A bioreactor for producing synfuel from carbonaceous material includes a stacked particle heap comprising biodegradable carbonaceous material, an aerobic microbial consortium fermenting the biodegradable carbonaceous material into synfuel, and a gas impermeable barrier operatively covering the stacked particle heap. The covered particle heap is purged with at least one non-oxygenated gas. The bioreactor also includes a supply of anaerobic microorganisms which biodegrade the carbonaceous material within the stacked particle heap into synfuel. The synfuel is mixed with at least one reactor byproduct. The reactor byproducts are separated from the synfuel, which may include synthetic petroleum, alcohol, oil, and/or a gaseous fuel containing methane. | 02-11-2010 |
20100041130 | BIOREACTOR FOR PRODUCING SYNFUEL FROM CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL - A bioreactor for producing synfuel from carbonaceous material includes a stacked particle heap comprising biodegradable carbonaceous material, an aerobic microbial consortium fermenting the biodegradable carbonaceous material into synfuel, and a gas impermeable barrier operatively covering the stacked particle heap. The covered particle heap is purged with at least one non-oxygenated gas. The bioreactor also includes a supply of anaerobic microorganisms which biodegrade the carbonaceous material within the stacked particle heap into synfuel. The synfuel is mixed with at least one reactor byproduct. The reactor byproducts are separated from the synfuel, which may include synthetic petroleum, alcohol, oil, and/or a gaseous fuel containing methane. | 02-18-2010 |
20100050522 | METHOD OF BIOCONVERTING ORGANIC CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL INTO FUEL - A bioreactor for producing synfuel from carbonaceous material includes a stacked particle heap comprising biodegradable carbonaceous material, an aerobic microbial consortium fermenting the biodegradable carbonaceous material into synfuel, and a gas impermeable barrier operatively covering the stacked particle heap. The covered particle heap is purged with at least one non-oxygenated gas. The bioreactor also includes a supply of anaerobic microorganisms which biodegrade the carbonaceous material within the stacked particle heap into synfuel. The synfuel is mixed with at least one reactor byproduct. The reactor byproducts are separated from the synfuel, which may include synthetic petroleum, alcohol, oil, and/or a gaseous fuel containing methane. | 03-04-2010 |
20100062507 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING FUEL USING STACKED PARTICLE BIOREACTOR - A bioreactor for producing synfuel from carbonaceous material includes a stacked particle heap comprising biodegradable carbonaceous material, an aerobic microbial consortium fermenting the biodegradable carbonaceous material into synfuel, and a gas impermeable barrier operatively covering the stacked particle heap. The covered particle heap is purged with at least one non-oxygenated gas. The bioreactor also includes a supply of anaerobic microorganisms which biodegrade the carbonaceous material within the stacked particle heap into synfuel. The synfuel is mixed with at least one reactor byproduct. The reactor byproducts are separated from the synfuel, which may include synthetic petroleum, alcohol, oil, and/or a gaseous fuel containing methane. | 03-11-2010 |
20100126314 | HIGH TEMPERATURE HEAP BIOLEACHING PROCESS - A heap is constructed with hypogenic copper sulfide bearing ore to include exposed sulfide mineral particles at least 25 weight % of which are hypogenic copper sulfides. The concentration of the exposed sulfide mineral particles is such that the heap includes at least 10 Kg of exposed sulfide sulfur per tonne of solids in the heap. At least 50% of the total copper in the heap is in the form of hypogenic copper sulfides. A substantial portion of the heap is heated to at least 50° C. The heap is inoculated with a thermophilic microorganism, and bioleaching is carried out so that sufficient sulfide mineral particles in the heap are biooxidized to oxidize at least 10 Kg of sulfide sulfur per tonne of solids in the heap and to cause the dissolution of at least 50% of the copper in the heap in a relatively short period of time. | 05-27-2010 |
20100199808 | METHOD FOR RECOVERING METAL VALUES FROM REFRACTORY SULFIDE ORE - A method for recovering metal values from refractory sulfide ores is provided. The method includes the steps of separating clays and fines from crushed refractory sulfide ore, forming a heap from the refractory sulfide ore, producing a concentrate of refractory sulfide minerals from the separated fines and adding the concentrate to the heap, bioleaching the heap to thereby oxidize iron sulfides contained therein, and hydrometallurgically treating the bioleached ore to recover metal values contained therein. | 08-12-2010 |
20110067856 | MICROBIAL ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY METHODS - The present invention is directed to the field of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). In particular, the invention focuses on new, efficient, economical and environmentally safe microbial methods to enhance oil recovery in existing oil reservoirs, as well as microorganisms useful in such methods. | 03-24-2011 |
20130062053 | Alkaline microbial enhanced oil recovery - The present invention is related to the field of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). In particular, the invention concerns new, efficient, economical and environmentally safe microbial methods to enhance oil recovery, as well as microorganisms useful in such methods. | 03-14-2013 |
20140051149 | MICROBIAL ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY METHODS - The present invention is directed to the field of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). In particular, the invention focuses on new, efficient, economical and environmentally safe microbial methods to enhance oil recovery in existing oil reservoirs, as well as microorganisms useful in such methods. | 02-20-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080311647 | Method of Biotreating a Solid Material Comprising an Organic Compound - A method of biotreating a solid material including an organic compound is provided. According to the method, a nonstirred bioreactor having a void volume of greater than or equal to 25% with a mixture including a solid material to be biotreated and a plurality of coarse substrates having a particle size greater than or equal to about 0.6 cm is formed. The solid material to be biotreated includes an organic material. The mixture includes sufficient coarse substrates to provide the reactor with at least 100 square meters of surface area per cubic meter of reactor space. The solid material in the bioreactor is biotreated until the organic material within the bioreactor is reduced to a desired concentration. | 12-18-2008 |
20090004728 | Method of biotreatment for solid materials in a nonstirred surface bioreactor - A method of biotreating a solid material to remove an undesired compound using a nonstirred surface bioreactor is provided. According to the method, the surface of a plurality of coarse substrates is coated with a solid material to be biotreated to form a plurality of coated coarse substrates. The coarse substrates have a particle size greater than about 0.3 cm and the solid material to be biotreated has a particle size less than about 250 μm. A nonstirred surface reactor is then formed by stacking the plurality of coated coarse substrates into a heap or placing the plurality of coated coarse substrates into a tank so that the void volume of the reactor is greater than or equal to about 25%. The solid material is biotreated in the surface bioreactor until the undesired compound in the solid material is degraded to a desired concentration. | 01-01-2009 |
20090035833 | Method for recovering metal values from refractory sulfide ore - A method for recovering metal values from refractory sulfide ores is provided. The method includes the steps of separating clays and fines from crushed refractory sulfide ore, forming a heap from the refractory sulfide ore, producing a concentrate of refractory sulfide minerals from the separated fines and adding the concentrate to the heap, bioleaching the heap to thereby oxidize iron sulfides contained therein, and hydrometallurgically treating the bioleached ore to recover metal values contained therein. | 02-05-2009 |
20090126532 | HIGH TEMPERATURE HEAP BIOLEACHING PROCESS - A heap is constructed with hypogenic copper sulfide bearing ore to include exposed sulfide mineral particles at least 25 weight % of which are hypogenic copper sulfides. The concentration of the exposed sulfide mineral particles is such that the heap includes at least 10 Kg of exposed sulfide sulfur per tonne of solids in the heap. At least 50% of the total copper in the heap is in the form of hypogenic copper sulfides. A substantial portion of the heap is heated to at least 50° C. The heap is inoculated with a thermophilic microorganism, and bioleaching is carried out so that sufficient sulfide mineral particles in the heap are biooxidized to oxidize at least 10 Kg of sulfide sulfur per tonne of solids in the heap and to cause the dissolution of at least 50% of the copper in the heap in a relatively short period of time. | 05-21-2009 |
20120000318 | HIGH TEMPERATURE HEAP BIOLEACHING PROCESS - A heap is constructed with hypogenic copper sulfide bearing ore to include exposed sulfide mineral particles at least 25 weight % of which are hypogenic copper sulfides. The concentration of the exposed sulfide mineral particles is such that the heap includes at least 10 Kg of exposed sulfide sulfur per tonne of solids in the heap. At least 50% of the total copper in the heap is in the form of hypogenic copper sulfides. A substantial portion of the heap is heated to at least 50° C. The heap is inoculated with a thermophilic microorganism, and bioleaching is carried out so that sufficient sulfide mineral particles in the heap are biooxidized to oxidize at least 10 Kg of sulfide sulfur per tonne of solids in the heap and to cause the dissolution of at least 50% of the copper in the heap in a relatively short period of time. | 01-05-2012 |